Economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman says the only way the U.S. will get its debt crisis under control is by the use of "death panels" and a national sales tax.

The national sales tax, referred to as VAT (value-added tax) and widely used by governments across Europe, will help cut the U.S deficit, Krugman argues.

Krugman made his comments on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour during a roundtable discussion about the economy and the recent findings of the U.S. Debt Reduction Commission.

Here's the key excerpt:

"Some years down the pike, we're going to get the real solution, which is going to be a combination of death panels and sales taxes. It's going to be that we're actually going to take Medicare under control, and we're going to have to get some additional revenue, probably from a VAT. But it's not going to happen now."

The Obama healthcare plan passed by Congress in 2010 includes government-run healthcare committees with sweeping powers, including the power to engage in competitive pricing and cost analysis, a system used by Britain that has led to rationing of medical care for the elderly.

Critics of the Obama plan, including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, quickly dubbed the committees "death panels," saying government agencies would decide who would live and who would die. Supporters of the Obama health plan dismissed such suggestions as nonsense.

Krugman apparently thinks otherwise, and suggests that such death panels could be one way the federal government will be able to deal with soaring medical costs under control as the Baby Boomers enter retirement.(continued)

“(a) health care costs will have to be controlled, which will surely require having Medicare and Medicaid decide what theyre willing to pay for  not really death panels, of course, but consideration of medical effectiveness and, at some point, how much were willing to spend for extreme care...”

He’s lying. When you decide how to spend your own health care dollars, that’s one thing. When the government decides how to spend it, that’s a death panel.

Medicare is underfunded by $72 Trillion (with a T).
It makes SS look like a robust program.

Significant rationing will occur no matter who is in charge or what we term it. It’s guaranteed because such a high percentage of the post 65 population will be unable to afford healthcare in addition to Medicare.

Krugman best watch it. I don't even want people talking about death panels ~ not even theoretically. Advocates would seem to be making targets out of themselves ~ probably needlessly ~ because with the Second Amendment, and a sufficient number of suitable firearms available, people in even their 90s can GET EVEN WITH THE BATARDES!

They will eventually advocate- and even begin building a gulag. No leftist regime can endure without police state tactics. Billy Ayers said that as many 25 million would have to be killed. (He’s a guy who lived in Obama’s neighborhood.)

The national sales tax, referred to as VAT (value-added tax) and widely used by governments across Europe, will help cut the U.S deficit, Krugman argues.

A VAT is NOT a national sales tax---it's a very insidious tax placed at every level of production of a given product and is reflected in the final price of the product, not tacked on afterward, making it mostly invisible to consumers.

The Dems buy into the boiling frog theory. Look at all the stuff they’ve made you swallow so far. And we are still quite far away from violent revolution. The people have not erupted in Cuba or Venezuela. Took them a long time to overthrow the Soviet Union. We’re no where near that point.

Health care has always been rationed by wealth or connection. This has been less prevalent in the US in the past generation, but is likely to be more prevalent. It is better to have rationing by wealth (can’t pay the doctor... sometimes because you didn’t save when you were healthy, or because you’re such a jerk that no charity will help) than by political connection. If government panels decide who gets what care, look for upper government classes to get the best care, closely followed by the favored political class of the day. Look out, Whitey!

As to the VAT tax... Krugman is arguing for a much larger share of government in the economy. VAT is a means to that end.

VAT and Death Panels for Politicians They are useless and have never served any purpose so lets get rid of them. I eel so much better now, knowing that a Americans we can vote to have our elected officials deem hom is expendible. So in turn I simply elaborate that politicians are expendible and everything that they own is community property of We The People. Share their wealth. Since the morons will not listen to reason seize their assts and do the same that they desire to do to We The People.

The Progressives are stepping back in time to 1913 and desire to see the policies of the Progressive Era put into effect. There textbook was written By Charles Beard in 1913.

It has been debunked as a false premise in the early 1960s. but the asshat politicians in Dc are oblivious to reality and anything of lasting value.

" health care costs will have to be controlled, which will surely require having Medicare and Medicaid decide what theyre willing to pay for  not really death panels, of course, but consideration of medical effectiveness and, at some point, how much were willing to spend for extreme care...

That's why Obama's government wants to control "health", they get to decide what it costs and who will live or die. It comes as no surprise to me whatsoever. Pope John Paul II deemed America to be "the culture of death" many years ago. He was no joker, nor was he prone to hyperbole, he was a very serious man who saw the truth and stated it. And it's plain to see he was right.

I remember a completely different America, long ago. Doctors who performed abortions went to jail, women who obtained them were considered low lifes. Men would come to the aid of others in distress, even at their own peril. In most places doors didn't have to be locked at night. At Christmastime mangers were everywhere, even in public places, and people proudly said "Merry Christmas" to each other. America was never Paradise on earth, but it was once very different than it is today. Hearts had not yet grown cold. Children had not yet turned against their parents and grandparents. Life was deeply respected by most people. We opened our doors to the 'world', and the 'world' came in and devoured us.

oops I did it again eel should be feel and hom should be whom. Forgive me I just had surgery on my hand so at times the fingers and the keys do not click with one anther. Also the pain meds do a number on you. Thanks for understanding Yes Palin was corect as is beck and Hannity death panels and VAT what a way to go for the US. what has it accomplished in Europe very little look at Greece and Spain, a perfect example of the failed policies of Odumbo

I didn’t see the show but yes he did say death panels
from krug’s blog:
I said something deliberately provocative on This Week, so I think Id better clarify what I meant (which I did on the show, but it cant hurt to say it again.)

So, what I said is that the eventual resolution of the deficit problem both will and should rely on death panels and sales taxes. What I meant is that

(a) health care costs will have to be controlled, which will surely require having Medicare and Medicaid decide what theyre willing to pay for  not really death panels, of course, but consideration of medical effectiveness and, at some point, how much were willing to spend for extreme care

(b) well need more revenue  several percent of GDP  which might most plausibly come from a value-added tax

And if we do those two things, were most of the way toward a sustainable budget.

By the way, Ive said this before.

Now, you may declare that this is politically impossible. But medical costs must be controlled somehow, or nothing works. And is a modest VAT really so much more implausible than ending the mortgage interest deduction?

So thats my plan. And I believe that some day  maybe in the first Chelsea Clinton administration  it will actually happen.

39
posted on 11/14/2010 4:42:52 PM PST
by ari-freedom
(Islam is at war against America, while America is at the mall.)

"When you decide how to spend your own health care dollars, thats one thing. When the government decides how to spend it, thats a death panel." BRILLIANT, indeed....I'm stealing for my tagline...okay?

Or we can defund the EPA, FDA, Most of the FCC, the BATF, the arts, the NEA, and most of the DHS and run a 1980s Hong Kong style manufacturing dreadnaught for a decade, and manufacture our way to prosperity.

I know which path I like.

45
posted on 11/14/2010 4:58:24 PM PST
by MrEdd
(Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.8)

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